EcoLux☆Lifestyle: Toronto’s Jaycow Millinery Offers Up Hella Fun Headgear

Famous for our athleisure approach to dressing, true west coasters know nothing beats a great hat and hoodie combination to keep the rain off our heads! Now, from the east comes Jaycow Millinery to mix it up with stylish sustainable headwear.

Designed by Jay Cheng, Toronto’s Jaycow Millinery creates sustainable headwear for the fashion-conscious and those who love repurposed and sustainable fashion. Experience the joy of adding a stunning custom hat to your everyday or life’s most magnificent moments.  

Jay is known both for her playful innovation and her meticulous craftsmanship. Since beginning her career in Fashion and Design in Hong Kong over 25 years ago, Jay has produced countless editorials and runway shows, executed a wide range of costume, wardrobe, and styling for film, television, print, commercial, and live performances. While on this journey as a creative, Jay fell in love with the art of Millinery and in 2004 began Jaycow Millinery. Since then she has created hundreds of bespoke pieces. Drawing on her background as a Creative Producer, Jay has an instinct for bringing out the unique personality, flair and poetics of an individual through her millinery creations.

Sustainably Minded Creations

Jay is an internationally acclaimed milliner and style icon who primarily uses vintage and/or deadstock wool felts, or fur felts for new hats. In mastering the craft, she has developed new ways of using scrap or wasted materials to create new hats and skills. 

She says, “Sustainability has always been an important part of my millinery process because it is built on quality and conscious making, the foundations of my business. Waste is sourced from the cut-offs, odds, and ends from fresh or older pieces. Vintage or deadstock millinery materials are difficult to find, they are sourced globally by hunting online and keeping connections solid.”

Hat Lovers Unite!

With an international clientele that includes private hat-lovers, brides, costume designers, and renowned celebrities, Jay has the instinct for bringing out an individual’s personality through her creations. Adventurous at heart, she has travelled the world honing her craft. Through her creations, one can experience the past, feel the history, and explore a new avenue of personal expression.

We love that at Jaycow Millinery, priority is given to repurposing vintage or made into samples to create new pieces. They also keep a limited stock level on all new hats to encourage the bespoke experience. Celebrating quality over quantity of consumption and if cared for properly, the Jaycow hats will last a lifetime. 

It is a new year, so why not try something new? Don a new hat and embrace the look with Jaycow Millinery’s new Block Common ready-to-wear winter line. Visit their website and bookmark it as each season Cheng and her team curate new Block Common hand-made hats for everyday use.

Post-Lockdown Private Lessons 

For those up for a style challenge and as soon as it is safe, Jay will be offering private lessons in her brand-new studio in Toronto. Learn to MAKE YOUR OWN HAT and create a hat that suits your personality by learning traditional methods and techniques!